Foldable chair

ABSTRACT

A foldable chair includes two side supports, a plurality of connecting members, and a seat plate. The side supports are distantly and oppositely disposed from each other. Each side support has a first supporting portion, and a second supporting portion is extending upward from one end of each first supporting portion. Each connecting member includes two first combining portions pivoted with each other. The two first combining portions are respectively pivoted with the two side supports. The seat plate includes two second combining portions pivoted with each other. The two second combining portions are pivoted with the two side supports. Therefore, when the two first combining portions of each connecting member and the two second combining portions of the seat plate are folded, the distance between the two side supports is reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foldable chair, and more particularlyto a foldable chair having backrest.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Chairs are widely utilized for various occasions in dairy life due totheir high applicability. For example, like furniture, the chairs may befixed at predefined spaces. On the other hand, small and light chairsare also developed for the ease of portability upon, for example,decorating a temporary occasion. However, the chairs are rigid and wouldoccupy certain spaces. As a result, the conventional chairs are stackedwith each other when not in use. Nevertheless, in storage, the volume ofthe chairs cannot be reduced efficiently for being received in a limitedspace. Consequently, the conventional chairs are inconvenient forstorage.

The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at leastmitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a foldable chaircomprising two side supports with backrest structure and severalfoldable members connected to the side supports. The foldable chair canbe folded to reduce the occupation space for the ease of storage.

To achieve the above and other objects, a foldable chair is provided andcomprises two side supports, a plurality of connecting members, and aseat plate. The two side supports are distantly and oppositely disposedfrom each other. Each of the side supports has a first supportingportion, and a second supporting portion is extending upward from oneend of the first supporting portion of each of the side supports. Eachof the connecting members comprises two first combining portions pivotedwith each other, and a first folding line is defined at the jointingportion between the two first combining portions. The two firstcombining portions of each of the connecting members are respectively,one by one, pivoted with the two side supports. The seat plate comprisestwo second combining portions pivoted with each other. A second foldingline is defined at the jointing portion between the two second combiningportions. Each of the second combining portions has a pivoting portion,and the two second combining portions are respectively, one by one,pivoted with the two side supports via the pivoting portions. Wherein,the first folding line and the second folding line are at the sameplane, and the distance from the plane to the two side supports are thesame. The two first combining portions of each of the connecting membersare folded along the first folding line, and the two second combiningportions of the seat plate are folded along the second folding line,such that the distance between the two side supports is reduced.

In some implementation aspects, some of the connecting members areassembled to the first supporting portions of the side supports, and therest connecting members are assembled to the second supporting portionsof the side supports.

In some implementation aspects, two first through holes are respectivelydefined at the two first supporting portions of the two side supports,and wherein the two first through holes correspond to each other.

In some implementation aspects, two second through holes arerespectively defined at the two second combining portions of the seatplate, the two second through holes are located close to the secondfolding line and correspond to each other.

In some implementation aspects, the seat plate has two sides distantfrom the second folding line, and the two pivoting portions of the seatplate are located close to the two sides of the seat plate, such thatthe seat plate is located at the first supporting portions of the twoside supports.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferredembodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a foldable chair according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the foldable chair according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged view of an A portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates an operational view (1) of the foldable chair; and

FIG. 5 illustrates an operational view (2) of the foldable chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1, illustrating an exemplary embodiment of afoldable chair according to the present invention. The foldable chaircomprises two side supports 1, several connecting members 21A, 21B, 22,and a seat plate 3. The connecting members 21A, 21B, 22 and the seatplate 3 are foldable so that the space occupied by the foldable chaircan be reduced for storage. The structure of the foldable chairaccording to the present invention is described in detail as follows.

Firstly, for the sake of convenience, a three dimensional (X, Y, and Z)Cartesian coordinate is defined. Each two dimensions are orthogonal. TheX dimension stands for longitudinal direction, the Y dimension standsfor transversal direction, and the Z dimension stands for heightdirection. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the two side supports 1 aredistantly and oppositely disposed from each other along the X direction.Each side support 1 has a first supporting portion 11. Each firstsupporting portion 11 has a front end 111 and a rear end 112 along the Ydirection. Two supporting rods 12 are respectively extending from thefront and rear ends 111, 112 of each of the first supporting portions11, and the two supporting rods 12 are extending toward a directionopposite to the Z direction (i.e., the −Z direction). A secondsupporting portion 13 is extending from the rear end 112 of the firstsupporting portion 11 of each of the side supports 1. The secondsupporting portions 13 are extending toward the Z direction.

The connecting members 21A, 21B, 22 are assembled between the two sidesupports 1. Parts of the connecting members are assembled to the firstsupporting portions 11 of the two side supports 1, and the restconnecting members are assembled to the second supporting portions 13 ofthe two side supports 1. In this embodiment, the connecting member 21Ais assembled to the front ends 111 of the two first supporting portions11, and the connecting member 21 B is assembled to the rear ends 112 ofthe two first supporting portions 11, such that the base of the foldablechair for standing on the ground is formed. In addition, the connectingmember 22 is assembled to the two second supporting portions 13 andformed as the backrest of the foldable chair.

Accordingly, each of the connecting members 21A, 21B, 22 comprises twofirst combining portions 23 pivoted with each other. Specifically, thefirst combing portions 23 are plate shaped. For each connecting member,the two first combining portions 23 are pivoted with each other, and afirst foldable line 24 extending along the Z direction is defined at thejointing portion between the first combining portions 23. Therefore, thetwo first combining portions 23 are pivoted with each other using thefirst folding line 24 as the pivot shaft, such that the connectingmembers 21A, 21B, 22 can be bent and folded. Accordingly, the connectingmembers 21A, 21B, 22 can be in a folded state or in a flattened state.Besides, the two first combining portions 23 of each of the connectingmembers 21A, 21B, 22 are respectively, one by one, pivoted with the twoside supports 1.

The seat plate 3 is assembled between the two side supports 1. The seatplate 3 comprises two second combining portions 31 pivoted with eachother. Specifically, the second combing portions 31 are plate shaped.The two second combining portions 31 are pivoted with each other, and asecond folding line 32 extending along the Z direction is defined at thejointing portion between the second combining portions 31. Therefore,the two second combining portions 31 are pivoted with each other usingthe second folding line 32 as the pivot shaft, such that the seat plate3 can be bent and folded. Accordingly, the seat plate 3 can be in afolded state or in a flattened state.

Besides, each of the second combining portions 31 of the seat plate 3has a pivoting portion 33. In this embodiment, the seat plate 3 has twosides 34 distant from the second folding line 32, and the two pivotingportions 33 are located close to the two sides 34 of the seat plate 3,such that the seat plate 3 is located at the first supporting portions11 of the two side supports 1, and the two pivoting portions 33 arepivoted with the tops of the first supporting portions 11. Accordingly,as shown in FIG. 3, when the seat plate 3 is in the flattened state, thefirst supporting portions 11 of the two side supports 1 are completelyenclosed by the seat plate 3. Therefore, with the support of the firstsupporting portions 11 and the connecting member 21A, the stability ofthe seat plate 3 is further enhanced.

Moreover, the first folding lines 24 at each of the connecting members21A, 21B, 22 and the second folding line 32 at the seat plate 3 are atthe same plane (i.e., the YZ plane), and the distance from the plane tothe two side supports 1 are the same. In other words, the two sidesupports 1 are symmetrical about the plane defined by the first foldinglines 24 and the second folding line 32.

Based on the above, the two first combining portions 23 of each of theconnecting members 21A, 21B, 22 are folded along the first folding line24, and the two second combining portions 31 of the seat plate 3 arefolded along the second folding line 32, such that the distance betweenthe two side supports 1 is reduced along the X direction, as shown inFIG. 4, and eventually the foldable chair can be folded as shown in FIG.5. Accordingly, the space occupied by the foldable chair can be greatlyreduced when the foldable chair is folded. As a result, a great numberof the foldable chairs according to the present invention may be storedin a limited space.

Furthermore, two first through holes 14 are respectively defined at thetwo first supporting portions 11 of the two side supports 1, and the twofirst through holes 14 correspond to each other. Therefore, when thefoldable chair is not folded, the first through holes 14 would allow theuser to take or hold the foldable chair. Additionally, two secondthrough holes 35 are respectively defined at the two second combiningportions 31 of the seat plate 3, and the two second through holes 35 arelocated close to the second folding line 32 and correspond to eachother. Therefore, when the foldable chair is folded, the second throughholes 35 would allow the user to take or hold the foldable chair.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except asby the appended claims.

1. A foldable chair, comprising: two side supports distantly andoppositely disposed from each other, wherein each of the side supportshas a first supporting portion, and a second supporting portion isextending upward from one end of the first supporting portion of each ofthe side supports; a plurality of connecting members, wherein each ofthe connecting members comprises two first combining portions pivotedwith each other, and a first folding line is defined at the jointingportion between the two first combining portions, wherein the two firstcombining portions of each of the connecting members are respectively,one by one, pivoted with the two side supports; and a seat plate,comprising two second combining portions pivoted with each other,wherein a second folding line is defined at the jointing portion betweenthe two second combining portions, each of the second combining portionshas a pivoting portion, and the two second combining portions arerespectively, one by one, pivoted with the two side supports via thepivoting portions; wherein, the first folding line and the secondfolding line are at the same plane, and the distance from the plane tothe two side supports are the same, the two first combining portions ofeach of the connecting members are folded along the first folding line,and the two second combining portions of the seat plate are folded alongthe second folding line, such that the distance between the two sidesupports is reduced.
 2. The foldable chair according to claim 1, whereinsome of the connecting members are assembled to the first supportingportions of the side supports, and the rest connecting members areassembled to the second supporting portions of the side supports.
 3. Thefoldable chair according to claim 1, wherein two first through holes arerespectively defined at the two first supporting portions of the twoside supports, and wherein the two first through holes correspond toeach other.
 4. The foldable chair according to claim 1, wherein twosecond through holes are respectively defined at the two secondcombining portions of the seat plate, the two second through holes arelocated close to the second folding line and correspond to each other.5. The foldable chair according to claim 1, wherein the seat plate hastwo sides distant from the second folding line, and the two pivotingportions of the seat plate are located close to the two sides of theseat plate, such that the seat plate is located at the first supportingportions of the two side supports.